Maintaining Unions

Periodically, you will need to adjust union employee wages, deduction rates, and fringe rates as union contracts are updated and renegotiated.

To simplify the process of updating union information, you can copy the rate information from the original union code to a new union code in Spectrum. This allows you to update the union information without starting from scratch.
Note: It is highly recommended that you copy the original union rate information to a new union code rather than overriding the rates in the original file. Copying the information preserves your ability to refer to the old codes, if necessary.
  1. On the Site Map screen, click Payroll > Utilities > Union File Copy.
  2. Complete the From union code and To union code fields with the old and new union codes respectively.
    Note: The new union code can be set up with the same first three characters as the old code; this allows you to run the Summary Union Report, which combines, all the union codes that have the same 1st three characters into one report.
  3. Select Continue to copy the union information; otherwise, select Cancel to return to the Site Map screen without saving your changes.
  4. On the Site Map screen, click Payroll > Maintenance > Union to display the Union File Maintenance screen.
  5. In the Union code field, enter the new union code that you created in the Union File Copy screen, and then press Enter. The union information automatically displays from the original union code's file.
  6. Click the Rates button.
  7. After you click the Rates button, a warning box displays. Click OK to continue to the Union Rates Maintenance screen.
  8. In the Union code field, enter the newly created union code, press F4 or double-click on this field to select from a list of valid union codes, or press Enter to accept the software default. The union rates from the original union code displays.
  9. Update the union rates as outlined in the union contract.
    Note: To allow Spectrum to automatically calculate the overtime and double time rates, open the regular rate window on the first line of the union rates screen. Enter the rate in the Base rate field for each of the appropriate union levels. When you exit this window, and tab through the fields, the software displays the automatically calculated overtime and double time rates.
  10. Click OK three times to return to the Site Map screen.
  11. On the Site Map screen, click Payroll > Maintenance > Union to display the Union File Maintenance screen.
  12. Complete the Deduction and Fringe sections of this screen.
    Note: This information does not copy from the original union code file.
  13. Click OK twice to save your changes and return to the Site Map screen.